Chair.



No. 733,659. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. H. E. KNAUSS.

-. CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Witnesses m /v I fllftozncu PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

H. E. KNAUSS.

CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 21, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- NO MODEL.

ZZFMEWGJMNMM,

attain;

m: wcmws PEI'KRS cu, PHcrnurm msnwcmu, n c

NITED STATES Patented July l4, 1903.

OFFICE.

HARRISON i3. kNAUss, or EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 733,659, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed June 21, 1902. Serial No. 112,644. (No model.) i

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON E. KNAUss, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Chair, of which the following is a specific cation.

This invention relates to articles of furniture, and more particularly to that class known as adjustable chairs.

The primary object of theinvention is to provide an article of the above character which may be arranged to form a rocking-chair, an easy-chair, or a couch, the back being adj ustable to any inclination that may be desired and when in horizontal position forming the body of the couch, while the seat constitutes the head-section thereof.

Another important object is to provide novel mechanism for holding the various parts in their desired adj ustments, said mechanism being very simple, entirely accessible, and readily operable.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying draw ings and described in the following specification, though it will be apparent that the structure shown and described is open to change.

and modification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the article when in the form of a chair. Fig. 2 is also a side elevation of the same with the members arranged to form a couch. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the chair, portions of the covering being broken away to show the locking mechanism. Fig. 4 is a ver tical sectional view through the chair, the upper portion of the back being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the back-frame. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing how the cushion of the seat fits the cushion of the back when'the latter is thrown down in alinement withthe seat.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. I

In the embodiment of the invention shown three principalmembers are employed-abase 10, a rocker-seat 11, and a back 12. The base 1031s in the form of a frame comprising side bars 13, connected by cross-bars 14, said side bars having suitable feet 15. The seat the posts.

11 consists of a frame which is "made up of spaced rockers 16, that rest upon the side bars 13 and "are connected by cross-bars 17. This frame constitutes a support for theseatcushion 18, which may be of any desired construction. The back 12 also has a frame consisting of the side standards 19, connected by cross-bars 20, the standards being pivoted to the rockers near their rear ends, as shown at 20. This back-frame constitutes the support for the cushion 21.

Suitably-upholstered arms 22 are preferably employed with the above construction, the rear ends of these arms being pivoted at 23 to the standards 19, the front ends being supported by posts2et, that are pivoted to the front portions of the rockers. These posts 24: are attached to the arms by means of anglebrackets 25, secured to said arms and having pivotal connections with the upper ends of It will therefore be seen that in a chair as thus constructed the back may be arranged at anyinclination desired with respect to the seat and it can be thrown to a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2. In order to hold-said back at any desired adjustment and also look the seat against movement with respect to the base, the following mechanism is employed: A cross-bar 26 connects the rear ends of the rockers, and to the under side of said bar is attached a depending hook 27. Pivoted upon the rearmostcross-bar 14 of the baseframe is an upstanding latch 28, which has at its free end a bill 29, that interlocks with the hook 27, and thus'holds the rocker against movement on the base. In order to strengthen the cross-bar 14, to which the latch is attached, a foot 30 ispreferably secured to the under side of the same directly beneath the latch, said foot extending to the floor, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. An actuating-rod 31 is slidably mountedupon the frame and is pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of the latch, this rod extending to the front of the chair and having a handleknob, as 32, on its projecting end. A depending bracket 33 is also secured to the cross-bar 26, said bracket being provided with a series of openings or sockets 34. A holding-lever 35 is pivoted intermediate its'ends upon the back-frame by means of a pivot 35, said lever having at its lower end a tooth 36,

that engages in the sockets 34. The lever is preferably pivoted upon a plate 37, secured to the crossbars of said back-frame, and guide-stirrups 38, also secured to said plate, limit the movement of the lever and prevent its lateral displacement. A suitable spring 39, secured to the lever, bears against a portion of the frame to normally urge the tooth 36 into the sockets 34, as will be readily understood. An actuating-rod 40 is pivotally secured to the upper end of the locking-lever and projects through one of the side standards 19, said projecting end having a handleknob 41. The upper portion of the lever is covered by a lining 2, secured to the rear face of the same, as shown and indicated in Fig. 3.

Upon the rear portion of the upper end of the back-frame are arranged legs 43, hinged to one of the cross-bars and arranged, when 7 in projected position, to abut against the side standards 19. These legs are foldable within the frame between the standards. These legs are designed to support the back when it is in its horizontal position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and they are held in their operative positions by means of braces 44. These braces are preferably in the form of hooks, the inner ends of which are pivoted, as shown at 45, in a groove 46, formed in the adjacent cross-bar, the opposite ends of said hooks detachably engaging in eyes 47, secured to the inner side of the legs. The hooks are foldable in the groove, and when the legs are folded over them the entire mechanism is arranged within the frame. \Vhen not in use, these legs are covered by a flap 48, secured at one edge to the frame and adapted to be fastened by suitable fastening devices 49, secured to the adjacent cross-bar below the leg.

The manner of adjusting the chair will be readily apparent. When it is desired to use the same as an ordinary rocker, the back is elevated and the latch 28 disengaged from the hook 27. If a stationary easy-chair is wanted, the latch 28 is engaged with the hook, thus locking the seat against movement on the base. The back may then be adjusted to any inclination desired. Furthermore, these several adjustments may be obtained without the necessityof the occupant arising from the chair, as the handle-knobs are in convenient positions. When a couch is desired, the holding-lever for the back is entirely disengaged from the bracket and said back is lowered to a horizontal position. In the meantime, however, the legs are thrown to their operative positions, and thus support the back, removing a great deal of strain from the latch 28. As a result it will be seen that acomparatively simple structure is provided, which may be transformed into a variety of different articles of furniture, and it is to be observed that the mechanism is not only simple and comparatively inexpensive, but is readily operable.

Many types of combination reclining-chairs and couches have been patented and some embodies a feature never before presented to wit, a reclining-chair and couch consisting,essentially, of a relatively stationary base, a seat mounted thereon, and a hinged back separate from the seat, the latter constituting the head and body support and the back the support for the feet. In this mannor the greatest weight of a person occupying the chair is placed on the seat, which is sustained by the base and is therefore well prepared to resist the strain. To my knowledge all reclining-chairs have made the back-section the support for the'head and body of the occupant when unfolded to constitute a couch, and it follows that such chairs usually give way at the hinged connection between the back and seat or back and base.

By giving the seat an upward inclination it is enabled to serve as a support for the head and body, and, besides,the back-section joins with the seat so closely as to leave very little space between the seat and back. In

fact, the two parts when arranged as shown in Fig. 2 practically form a continuous support for the occupant of the chair.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim'as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a base, of a seat movably supported on the base, a back-section hinged contiguous to one end of the'seat, means for supporting-the back-section in a horizontal position, and means for securing the seat against movement on the base and at an upward inclination with respect to the back, said seat in this latter position constituting a head and body support and the backsection forming a leg-support.

2. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination With a base, of a seat movably supported upon the base, a back-section hinged contiguous to one end of the seat, a leg carried by the back-section and arranged to support the same in a substantially horizontal position, and means for securing the seat against movement on the base and at an upward inclination with respect to the back when the latter is in its horizontal position, said seat-section in this latter position constituting a head and body support and the back-section forming a leg-support.

3. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a seat, of a back pivotally associated with the seat and IIO provided with a cross-bar having a longitudinal groove in its rear face, legs hinged to the cross-bar and foldable within the back and upon the cross-bar, and hooks pivoted in the groove and having detachable engagements with the legs to hold the latter in operative positions, said hooks being foldable in said groove.

4,. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a base, of a rocker-seat supported upon the base, a forwardly-projecting hook rigidly secu red to the seat and depending below the same, an upstanding rearwardly-projecting latch pivoted at its lower end upon the base and having its upper end engaging the hook to hold the seat against movement, cross-bars constituting a part of the base, and an actuating-rod pivoted to an intermediate portion of the latch and slidably passing through the cross-bars, said rod extending to the front of the article of furniture. I

5. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a seat, of a back pivotally associated with the seat, a depending bracket carried by the seat and having a plurality of sockets, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the back and located longitudinally thereof, said lever having at its lower end a tooth which is adapted to engage in any one of the sockets of the bracket, and an actuating-rod secured to the upper end of the lever and located transversely of the back, projecting from one side of the same.

6. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a base, of a rocker-seat mounted thereon and having a cross-bar contiguous to its rear end, a back pivoted to the seat, holding devices arranged upon the cross-bar, and locking means mounted on the base and back respectively, said locking means having detachable engagement with the holding devices.

7. In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a base-frame, of a rocker seat-frame mounted on the baseframe and having a cross-bar at its rear end,

a back-frame pivoted to the seat-frame, a depending hook secured to the cross-bar of the rocker-frame, a latch pivoted to the baseframe and engaging the hook, a depending bracket also secured to the cross-bar and having a plurality of sockets, and a lever pivoted upon the back-frame and provided with a tooth that is adapted to engage in any one of said sockets.

8.- In an article of furniture of the class described, the combination with a relatively stationary base, of a seat movably supported on the base, a back-section hinged to the seat and adapted to be extended from one end of the seat, means for supporting the back-section in a horizontal position, and means for securing the seat against movement on the base and at an'upward inclination with respect to the back, said seat in this latter position constituting a head and body support and the back forming a leg-support.

9. In a combination chair and couch, the

combination with the relatively stationary base, of the rocker-seat supported uponthe base, the back hinged to the seat and swinging down from one end thereof to form a continuation of the seat, and a lock for securing the seat at an upward inclination from the back, so that it will constitute the head of the and supporting means carried by the free outer end of the back to hold the latter in proper position from the floor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. X

HARRISON E. KNAUSS.

Witnesses:

' GEO. H. YOUNG,

REUBEN SMITH. 

